Semiautomatic rammer for guns



1927. May A. DABRASKY SEMIAUTOMATIC HAMMER FOR GUNS Filed Oct. 5, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1 p 1 ABE 115i Ila]: ra 5 kif May 24, 19 DABRASKY SEMIAUTOMATIC HAMMER FOR GUNS Filed Oct. s. 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 2 May 24, 1927.

A. DABRASKY SEMIAUTOMATIG HAMMER FOR GUNS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct.

Patented May 24,1927.

UNITED STATES A UGUST DABRASKY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

snmmn'rom rrc RAMMER non. eons.

Application filed October 5,1925. Serial No. 60,615.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 8, 1883; 22 STAT. L. 625.)

The invention described herein may be .used by the Government, or any of its officers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalt thereon, in accordance with the act of Mzlrch 3, 1883.

This invention relates to a semi-automatic rammer for guns and is particularly adapted for guns whose length of recoil is less than the length of the round of ammunition.

In firing against aerial targets, the gun is usually pointed at a considerable elevation and because of the weight of the rounds and the desirability of securing rapid fire during the briefinterval that the target is within range it is advisable to employ a mechanical apparatus for ramming the rounds into the chamber.

In guns having a long recoil, the rammer may be conveniently energized'by the gun on recoil, and held in the cocked position as the gun returns into battery. However, with guns of short recoil if the rammer is to be energized by the gun, it must be so associated therewith that it will be moved an additional distance to the rear to allow for the excess length of the round. In order to provide for this excess movement in cocking the rammer the present invention contemplates the provision of a bell crank lever fulcrumed on the gun, the long arm releasably engaging the rammer and the short arm working in a cam groove which is so dimensioned that rotation of the lever occurs only after acceleration of the gun ceases. The rotation of the lever, in addition to the linear travel of the gun, increases the velocity of the rammer so that sufiicient. energy is stored up to carry it the proper additional distance after the gun arrives at the end of its recoiling movement.

The apparatus is further so constructed that during the operation of extracting the empty case the rammer finger may be allowed to remain in the inoperative position or it may be automatically released to round engaging position, this latter adjustment being provided so that when operating the gun at elevations above the empty case may be retained on the tray instead of falling into the pit.

To these and other ends, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement,

and combination of elements, described hereinafter and pointed out in the claimsformmg a part of this specification.

1}; practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary View in side ele- .vation of a gun equipped with a rammer constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a-rear View;

Fig. 3 is a plan View showing the rammer in the cooked position;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the rammer in the forward position;

Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing the rammer in the cooked position and also indicating in dotted lines the intermediate and battery positions of the throw lever;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through the rear bufi'er;

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the fork;

Fig. 8 is a rear view of therammer cylinder unit; and

"Fig. 9 is a sectional View on the line 99 of Fig.- 6.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference:

The. ramming apparatus forming the subject of this invention is particularly adapted for rapid fire guns having b reech mechanisms'of the semi-automatic type and there is shown a gun of this character consisting of a barrel 5 reciprocally mounted on the cradle 6 and having a short recoil stroke. considerably less than the length of the cartridge. The gun is provided with a vertically sliding or drop breech block 7 (Fig. 3) adapted to be automatically opened during the final counter recoil movement of the gun to permit extraction of the empty cartridge case. The breech ring of the gun is also formed with the usual loading recess 5 in cident to the use of the drop block, and attached to the breech ring is a projectile tray 8 which is restrained from whipping during recoil by means of guide rods 9 sliding in hearings in the bridge piece 10 joining the cradle plates.

Secured to the right side of the cradle G is a relatively long support member 11 which carries the elements of the rammer underneath its upper overhanging portion.

The ramming apparatus which is here shown as of the pneumatically operated Inn by its spring to a position where it will engage behind the base of a cartridge placed on the tray preparatory to being loaded into the chamber.

In order to retract the rammer cylinder to the cocked position, I utilize the energy of recoil of the gun in a novel manner so as to impart a movement-iii excess of the length of recoil of the gun. This is accomplished by providing a bell crank or throw lever 16 fulcrumed on the gun, the short arm having a stud 17 disposed in a cam groove 18 cut in a plate secured to the support 11 and the long arm loosely connected to the stem of a fork 19 which is slidably mounted on rods 20 carried by the support. The fork is adapted to engage in front of the collar 14 formed by the rear attachment of the rammer cylinder 13 and its casting 14 whereby to retract the rammer cylinder unit as the gun moves in recoil.

The cam groove is so dimensioned that during initial recoil while the gun is accelerating, the lever does not rock but bears against the gun as at 21 and in this manner takes the load caused by compressing the rammer. lVhen the recoiling parts have attained their maximum velocity the lever is rocked by the cam groove and imparts a linear movement to the rammer cylinder in addition to the movement of the gun. By properly calculating the rise of the cam groove and the weight of the rammer cylinder unit the desired velocity of the rainmer cylinder can be produced prior to the arrival of the gun at the end of recoil so that sullicient momentum will be stored in the rammer to carry it rearward the required distance.

\Vhen the rammer cylinder has arrived at its rearmost position it is held cocked by means of a latch mechanism 22 which engages in front of the casting 14, as shown. If the rammer should fail to be retracted the full normal distance, the latch may engage in notches 23 and in such an event the round must be nosed into the chamber as it is placed on the loading tray. \Vhile the rammer is completing its rearward movement, the gun returns to battery carrying with it the throw lever and the fork, and during this movement the breech block is opened and the cartridge case extracted. The latch mechanism is connected with a rod 24 whereby it is raised to release the rammer cylinder for independent return to battery to advance the round into the chamber.

Buffers 25 and 26 are provided at each end of the support 11 to absorb any excess energy which may be present in the rammer cylinder.

\Vith the rammer cylinder in battery the closing of the breech block raises the ram mer finger until engaged by the latch 27 (Fig. 4:) in which position it is held during the recoil stroke. In firing at normal elevations, it is desired to have the finger clear of the case which is being extracted and accordingly the latch is adapted to be manually released after extraction is completed by actuating the lever 28. However, when firing at elevations over it is desired to retain the extracted case on the tray so that it may be removed by one of the gun servers and to this end a camplate 29 is mounted on the support to automatically release the latch and lower the finger as the rammer arrives in cocked position. The cam plate is so mounted as to be capable of being swung to inoperative position and there retained.

\Vhile the apparatus is shown and described in connection with a gun having a semi-automatic drop breech block it may be re-arranged for application to all types and classes of blocks.

lVhile in the foregoing there has been illustrated and described such combination and arrangement of elements as constitute the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless desired to emphasize the fact that interpretation of the invention should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A cradle, a gun reciprocally mounted thereon, an ammunition tray fixed to the breech ring, a support having a cam groove secured at one side of the cradle, a plunger cylinder fixed to the rear of the support, a fluid actuated rammer cylinder 'slidable with respect to the plunger and guided by the support, a movable rammer finger carried by the cylinder and normally depressed 'to engage the base of a round on the tray.

said finger adapted to be raised and latched on closing of the breech block, a fork slidably carried by the support and releasably engaging the rammer cylinder, a bell crank lever fulcrumed on the gun, one arm loosely connect-ed to the fork and the extremity of the other arm riding in the cam groove of the support, said groove so dimensioned as to impart rotation to the lever when the accelerating movement of the gun in recoil has ceased, means for latching the rammer cylinder in cocked position while the gun lln returns to battery, and means capable of being rendered inoperative for automatically releasing the finger to its lowered position as the rammer is cooked.

2. A cradle, a gun reciprocally mounted thereon, an ammunition tray fixed to the breech ring, a support having a cam groove secured at one side of the cradle, a plunger cylinder fixed to the rear of the support, a

: fluid actuated rammer cylinder slidable with respect to the plunger and guided by the support, a movable rammer finger carried by the cylinder and normally depressed to engage the base of a round on the tray, said finger adapted to be raised and latched on closing of the breech block, a fork slidably carried by the support and releasably engaging the rammer cylinder, a bell crank lever fulcrumed on the gun, one arm loosely connected to the fork and the extremity of the other arm riding in the cam groove of the support, said groove so dimensioned as to impart rotation to the lever when the accelerating movement of the gun in recoil has ceased, means for latching the rammer cylinder in cocked position while the gun returns to battery, and means for unlatching the rammer finger.

3. A cradle, a gun reciprocally mounted thereon, an ammunition tray fixed to the breech ring, a support having a cam groove secured at one side of the cradle, a plunger cylinder fixed to the rear of the support, a fluid actuated rammer cylinder slidable with respect to the plunger and guided by the support, a rammer finger carried by the cylinder and. adapted to engage the base of a round on the tray, a fork slidably carried by the support and releasably engaging the rammer cylinder, a bell crank lever fulcrumed on the gun, one arm loosely connectt ed to the fork and the extremity of the other arm riding in the cam groove of the support, said groove so dimensioned as to impart rotation to the lever when the accelerating movement df the gun in recoil has ceased, and means for latching the rammer cylinder in cocked position while the gun returns to battery.

4. A cradle, a gun reciprocally mounted thereon, an ammunition tray fixed to the breech ring, a support secured to the cradle, a plunger cylinder fixed to the support, a fluid actuated rammer cylinder slidable with respect to the plunger and guided by the support, a rammer finger adapted to engage the base of a round on the tray, a throw lever fulcrumed on the gun and releasably engaging the rammer, said lever adapted to be rotated when the acceleration of the gun in recoil has ceased whereby to increase the velocity of the rammer.

5. A cradle, a gun reciprocally mounted thereon, an ammunition tray fixed to the breech ring, a support secured to the cradle, a rammer slidably mounted on the support and adapted to be energized for independent return to battery, a rammer finger adapted to engage the base of a round on the tray, a throw lever fulcrumed on the gun and releasably engaging the rammer, said lever adapted to be rotated when the acceleration of the gun in recoil has ceased whereby to-increase the velocity of the rainmer.

6. A cradle, a gun reciprocally mounted thereon, an ammunition tray fixed to the breech ring, a support secured to the cradle, a rammer slidably mounted on the support and adapted to be energized for independent return to battery, a rammer finger adapted to engage the base of a round on the tray, a throw lever fulcrumed on the gun and releasably engaging the rammer, said lever adapted to be rotated whereby to increase the velocity of the rammer.

7 A loading apparatus for guns embodying a rectilinearly movable rammer, and means mounted on the gun and releasably engaging the rammer whereby the rammer I is retracted by the gun in recoil, said means adapted to increase the velocity of the rammer.

8. A cradle, a gun reciprocal thereon, a cartridge tray fixed to the breech ring in line with the chamber of the gun, a semiautomatic rammer for advancing the round into the chamber, said rammer movable into and out of round engaging position, and means for selectively determining the position of the rammer when cooked whereby to permit ejection of the empty case or to retain the case on the tray.

9. In a rammer for guns adapted to be energized by the gun on recoil, a rammer finger movable vertically to the path of travel of the rammer and normally in the inoperative position during retraction of the rammer, an means for either'manually or automatically releasing the finger to round engaging position.

10. A rammer for guns adapted to be energized by the gun on recoil, a rammer,

the velocity of the rammer.

AUGUST DABRASKY. 

